Kentucky state senator, 77, dies in freak lawnmower accident

Kentucky Senator Johnnie Turner died a month after being injured in a freak lawnmower accident that left him in a swimming pool.

Turner, 76, was seriously injured in the Sept. 15 crash outside his home in rural Baxter, Kentucky, and his family said this week he died after an “extreme battle” with his injuries.

Tributes have been paid to the lawmaker, who was first elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1998 before joining the Senate in 2020.

And because his death comes so close to Election Day, Turner’s name will appear alone on the ballot, without a single challenger, raising the prospect that a special election will be needed if he is elected posthumously.

Turner was thrown into the deep end of a swimming pool outside his home in Baxter, Kentucky (seen from an aerial view), and was hospitalized for a month before dying

Turner’s fatal accident occurred outside his home while he was riding a lawn mower, but it is unclear what exactly caused the machine to fall into his pool.

The lawmaker fell into the deep end of the pool and was taken to a nearby hospital before being flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville.

It was not disclosed what injuries Turner suffered, but Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers said in a statement after his death that the senator fought in the hospital for weeks.

“In recent weeks, his remarkable determination and strength have filled the Turner family – and all of us – with optimism, making this loss difficult to bear,” Stivers said.

‘I will miss my friend; my heart breaks for his wife Martiza and his children.’

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell paid tribute to the lawmakers, recalling crossing paths with Turner earlier in their careers as they surveyed flood damage in eastern Kentucky.

“Johnnie was on the scene, ankle deep in mud, with his equipment from home in tow, ready to help people in Letcher County,” McConnell recalled to the Associated Press.

“That’s just who he was: a good man who loved the mountains and the people.”

Turner’s family said he was “extremely proud” of his service in the U.S. Army, during which time he deployed to Panama and met his wife Maritza.

Turner was first elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1998, but lost his seat in 2001 when his district was eliminated in a reapportionment.

After several failed attempts to return to office, including a previous run for the Kentucky Senate, he later won the seat in November 2020.

A lawyer, Turner was previously a soldier in the U.S. Army, which his family said in a statement he was “extremely proud of.”

Turner’s family said he met his wife Maritza while stationed in Panama, and upon his return to the United States “he quickly made plans to reunite with her in Kentucky.”

“They worked tirelessly to build a life together and raise a family in southeastern Kentucky,” his family said.

‘Sen. Turner quickly became known as the “Legal Lion of the Mountains” for his relentless advocacy on behalf of the working men and women of southeastern Kentucky.

“His work as a lawyer and public servant earned him deep respect across the region, and his contributions to the Commonwealth will not be forgotten.

“He will be deeply missed by his colleagues, his community and all those whose lives he touched.”

Turner’s time in the state Legislature was marked by his fervent support for coal and energy policies, and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell described him as “a good man who loved the mountains and its people.”

Turner’s time in the Kentucky Legislature was marked by his support for coal and energy initiatives, and he often criticized the collapse of the coal industry and its impact on Kentucky’s economy.

In his last interview with WYMT in August, he vowed to continue fighting government regulations that he said were crippling the industry.

“This administration is trying to destroy the coal industry — that’s not going to happen in Kentucky, it’s just not going to happen,” he said.

Because Turner’s death comes just three weeks before Election Day, his name will still appear on the general election ballot, the secretary of state said.

He previously faced an independent challenger, but he dropped out of the race in recent weeks, leaving his re-election unopposed.

Candidates who have filed now have until Friday to file for the seat, or a special election will be needed to fill Turner’s role if he is elected posthumously before the start of Kentucky’s legislative session in January.